Just heard that in October, Bill is coming out with Killing Kennedy. Same format and same co-writer; Martin Dugard. If you have the chance to read Killing Lincoln, do so. It was like being there; the events leading up to the assassination, the act itself, and the aftermath. Quite chilling.

I heard the original manuscript was "War, what is is good for?" Then later realized that name was taken and went with "War and Peace."

One of my favorite episodes...almost as good as the "car rental" episode...

Currently reading the latest from the Dalai Lama...the man is clearly a genius:

Quote:

The Dalai Lama, at his most compassionate and outspoken, elaborates and deepens his vision for the nonreligious way. Transcending the mere “religion wars,” he outlines a system of ethics for our shared world, one that gives full respect to religion. With the highest level of spiritual and intellectual authority, the Dalai Lama makes a stirring appeal for what he calls a “third way,” a path to an ethical and happy life and to a global human community based on understanding and mutual respect.

Took Russian as a modern language at school, then it became the easy option for the obligatory course from the Humanities faculty at Uni when I was studying electronics. Actually waded my way through "War and Peace" in Russian, FFS! Haven't read, spoken or written a word of Russian since about 1973.

I heard the original manuscript was "War, what is is good for?" Then later realized that name was taken and went with "War and Peace."

Really, Elaine told me

I think Jerry told Elaine that, in the "Marine Biologist" episode of Season 5. (I note that Seinfeld is now being repeated yet again, on one or other of the Sky channels!) Was reminded of that series not long ago, when I travelled out of Newhaven to Dieppe on the ferry owned by the Louis Dreyfus Line, Julia L-D's family's business, and very big in transportation and other companies in Europe.

I am currently reading Claire Tomalin's 2011 "Charles Dickens - A Life", having been encouraged to buy it by the daily 15 minute readings from it on Radio 4, when it was their book of the week. Very apt for me, living in Kent where Dickens once lived and wrote some of his most famous works. Ho hum, some of the misty, marshy landscape of North Kent where Magwitch terrifies poor Pip in "Great Expectations" could possibly end up under acres of concrete as one of the putative new London Hub airports ...

Magnus, a friend of mine spent his call-up time in the RAF learning Russian. he said it was essentially a holiday in Beaconsfield. Eventually, he became a member of the boss class in a very large chemical co., where he had to entertain visitors, Russians included. Those were the times when he wished he had listenned a bit more. Was he toasting "War" or "Peace"?

I met the Dalai Lama once. He told me something that I'll never forget. He said never..... no wait.......it was "always keep a litter bag in your car, and when it gets full, just throw it out the window."

Can also recommend Ken Follets's follow up to the Pillars of the Earth, called World Without End.

Has anyone read Ken Follett's Fall of Giants? I started to read it, and as always with this writer, was drawn in right away. But, work on my own book had to take preference - given this book is his usual weighty size, I just couldn't afford the time.

BTW, while checking with my dyslexic eye, the spelling of Follett, I came across this. The man is a book-generating powerhouse, I must take time to read this. (the masterclass bit)

The only way I could think of to make that Woody Allen joke work, sort of, was to steal it, but at least that's sort of on-theme, 'What are you reading?'

What is the excuse for stealing Steve Martin's trashbag joke, though? Fie, Sir, fie! Where is this leading to?

Mr Martin has done a couple of good books, collections of stuff he did for the New Yorker, originally. He has one with a bit about some pretend sophisticate going off looking for Giotto's grave at the Pantheon, but ending up by mistake at the Parthenon, and another about a moron who gets into Mensa.

A short story, not a book, but I recently re-read Woody Allen's The Whore of Mensa. It sends up many of the New York intellectual pretenses you easily can think of. Another good one is The Kugelmass Episode, for anyone who has suffered through a literature class about Madame Bovary.

Another American author I can recommend is David Sedaris. Kind of gay but funny withal.

I have so far found it to be astonishingly gory and there are bits of drama in there that I have never heard in church. Ever. I am reading the CS Lewis Annotated Bible from Harper Lewis. It bothers me at many levels, but I decided I was going to cover-to-cover it this year for the first time.

I read the founding document of another well-known religion recently and it was my opinion that the document was completely fake, a fabrication of a gifted but deluded person. I do not want to start a fight here by saying who, but use your imagination.

It's well worth your time to read comparative religion. It really puts a spin on who is right or wrong. (unless I am)